(Pre-chapter note: Danzo will definitely die in these few chapters. As a plot device, he is not strong enough at this stage, nor can he provide tension to the plot. Keeping him around would just be disgusting. I'm notifying everyone here to avoid aversion from some readers.)
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One eye...
Sidestepping the kunai thrusting towards his chest, Minato watched the head flying high into the air.
From the first glance at Danzo just now, he had noticed the bandage wrapped around the other party's right eye.
However, the other party's right hand had a normal skin color. It seemed that he hadn't transplanted Hashirama cells yet.
"Danzo..."
Hiruzen Sarutobi watched the scene in front of him, his lips trembling slightly.
Seeing a companion he had been with for decades beheaded in front of him brought him a strong emotional impact.
"Minato, you..."
"Wait a moment, Lord Hokage."
Before Hiruzen could speak, Minato raised his hand and interrupted him.
He looked down at Danzo's corpse, raised his hand to create a Wood Clone, and then the main body flickered to a spot dozens of meters away.
Everyone watched Minato's actions in confusion.
In the field, the Wood Clone took two steps forward and reached out to peel off the bandage on Danzo's head!
But before he could touch the target, Danzo's corpse slowly dissipated like a phantom in water.
Danzo, who had just been beheaded by Minato a few seconds ago, appeared in the field unscathed!
No, it couldn't be said that he was completely unscathed.
Minato's gaze swept over the blood on Danzo's face. Judging from Danzo's appearance, Izanagi shouldn't be able to rewrite injuries received before activation. This was good news.
"Huff... huff..."
Danzo stared at Minato dozens of meters away, shocked to the extreme.
He couldn't understand at all, how did Minato realize that he wasn't dead?
"This is impossible... how did you know?"
"What exactly is going on?"
Hiruzen frowned tightly, looking at Danzo in suspicion and fear.
The moment he saw Danzo resurrect, he subconsciously disrupted the chakra flow in his body, but found no sign of being under genjutsu.
"This should be... the Uchiha clan's Izanagi, right? I remember records of it in the clan's ancient books."
Tsunade looked grim. "This guy probably transplanted a Sharingan from the Uchiha."
"So that's it, Uchiha's forbidden jutsu..."
Hiruzen understood instantly.
Although Izanagi was a forbidden jutsu of the Uchiha, it wasn't a secret. In the Warring States period, the Uchiha clan was arrogant for quite some time relying on this jutsu.
The Sarutobi clan was also a ninja clan preserved from the Warring States period, so naturally, they also had records of this jutsu.
Danzo glanced coldly at Tsunade, not expecting his trump card to be recognized by her at a glance. But thinking of Tsunade's identity, it wasn't surprising.
He also learned about this jutsu by accident, tracing back to the battle between the First Hokage and Madara at the Valley of the End.
In that battle, the First Hokage won the final victory. Madara ended in death as the loser, and his corpse fell into the hands of the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju.
After all, it was the corpse of a strong man who had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan. The Second Hokage naturally wouldn't let go of such good research material.
However, out of friendship, the First Hokage never allowed the Second Hokage to conduct research on him.
After the First Hokage died, before the Second Hokage could conduct research, the First Great Ninja War broke out.
Later, the Second Hokage sacrificed himself to cover the retreat for everyone, and appointed Hiruzen Sarutobi as the Third Hokage before that.
But... they were all too young at the time.
Hiruzen, who had just ascended to the position of Hokage, didn't have enough strength or prestige to convince everyone and had to rely on the help of friends like them.
It was also at that time that he came into contact with the experimental base left by the Second Hokage.
At the same time, he discovered one thing—Madara Uchiha's corpse was gone!
At that time, having just been appointed as an Anbu squad leader, he dared not conceal it and immediately informed the newly appointed Third Hokage.
The two once suspected that the Uchiha clan had stolen Madara's corpse, and for this reason, they strengthened the surveillance of the Uchiha, until he learned of the existence of the jutsu Izanagi...
At that time, he shuddered all over, feeling his scalp explode!
But several years passed without hearing news of Madara, which made him suspect again that the other party might have died of old age long ago, so he turned his attention to the Uchiha clan.
Finally, from an old friend, he obtained that eye capable of granting a second life...
"But how did that child notice?"
Koharu Utatane was puzzled. Not only did Danzo want to know, but she was also very curious.
"Minato is a sensor type ninja. My family also has some records about the Uchiha. With his intelligence, it shouldn't be difficult to guess." Tsunade casually covered for Minato.
Actually, she didn't know how Minato guessed it, but she didn't care.
The unwillingness in Danzo's eyes almost solidified.
I almost forgot, this kid lives in Tsunade's house. The ancient ninjutsu books preserved by the Senju clan are almost unconditionally available for him to read and practice.
Such talent, such conditions, why isn't it me?!
"Let's end this here, Danzo."
Hiruzen said in a deep voice, "Attacking companions in the village is unforgivable. I warned you before, don't make mistakes again and again!"
"Hmph, things have come to this, Hiruzen, have you still not seen it clearly?"
Danzo sneered. "This genius on whom you place high hopes is a hungry wolf in sheep's clothing. He disguises himself as innocent and fools everyone around!"
Saying that, he pointed at the corpses all over the ground and the remaining three or five Root ninjas.
"Do you see these corpses all over the ground? In just one minute before you arrived, he almost slaughtered the Root by himself! He has been hiding his strength!"
"If you have a problem with your brain, go see a doctor!"
Tsunade scoffed. "Which ninja doesn't hide their strength? Guys who don't know how to hide their strength are all dead!"
Koharu sighed. "Indeed, better not say such fallacious arguments."
Danzo ignored the two, just staring fixedly at Hiruzen.
Minato didn't speak, watching this scene quietly, curious about how Hiruzen would react.
Under absolute numerical suppression, let alone one Danzo, even if the Third and the others tried to stop him together, they couldn't.
And the Wood Clone he just created had been continuously releasing spores.
With sensing plus spore positioning, Danzo had no possibility of escape.
Looking at Hiruzen, Minato made up his mind. As long as the other party dared to speak up to cover for Danzo, he would immediately say: The naturally evil Hidden Cloud spy dares to bewitch Lord Hokage, I will right now...
Fortunately, Hiruzen still had reason.
"So what?"
After a brief silence, Hiruzen sighed imperceptibly, his heart full of disappointment.
He never thought Minato was simple.
Whether it was vigilance against the higher-ups, deliberately setting a trap to send classmates to the hospital, or the forcing behavior just now, all proved that this kid wasn't as simple as he looked.
But... so what?